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Monday, May 19, 2014

There's an App for That

It seems that no matter what you
want to do, someone will remind you, “There’s an app for that,” and sure enough
there is. Often it is things you don’t even think about. “How did you tie that
scarf?” There’s an app for that. Apple owns the trademark for the slogan, but
it now pops up in everyday language.

It has become a running joke that
apps can make the difficult easy. They provide quick, simple solutions. We now
have an “app generation” that knows they can click on an icon and have the
knowhow that used to be passed from generation to generation. They take for
granted having the world at their fingertips, a world that we couldn’t even
imagine when we were kids.

As personal electronic devices
become easier and more user friendly, we boomers have come to embrace the
wonderful world of technology. What we have learned is something that younger
generations have always had. We went through years of schooling without spell
check, grammar check, the ability to just back up to erase the typed word, no
Google search for research papers, rotary telephones plugged into a wall that
served one purpose—conversation, and no concept of what an “app” was, or that
it would ever exist.

Even those of us boomers with wild
imaginations didn’t foresee the day when school kids would be walking around
with text books on a slim device. And the thought of being in constant
communication with our parents would have probably seemed more like a nightmare
than a desired condition. Our parents were parents—not our best friends.

Now that we boomers are reaching the
age when we are most vulnerable to Alzheimer’s, the brave new world has come up
with a possible solution—maybe, just maybe, there is, or will be, an app for
people with dementia.

I read an article this morning about
Apple and Google technology helping fight Alzheimer’s disease. The article
spoke of tests and treatments disguised as games. Wrist watches and eye glasses
that could be used for GPS tracking, facial recognition, and help with daily
living.

Maybe more research should go into developing
smart phones, or other electronic devices, specifically for people with dementia,
especially those who are in early stages. Devices would need to be easy to keep
track of, super easy to use with voice activated apps, and pictures.

Think about the problems that people
in the early stages of dementia have—they forget appointments, forget to take
medication, get lost, have trouble communicating, and trouble problem solving. Well,
I know for a fact that I’ve used my smart phone to solve the first three
problems on that list. I’m not too likely to forget appointments when my smart
phone reminds me. I had trouble remembering to take my morning medication until
I put a reminder on my phone. Getting lost is not an option with GPS on my
phone. Wouldn’t it be easier for the memory impaired to communicate if they
could see the person they were talking to instead of just hearing them? After
all, words are only seven percent of our communication with each other. Facial
expressions are included in body language and account for 55 percent. We’ve
already discussed that there’s an app for solving a myriad of problems.

Why not have Medicare dollars pay
for technology to enhance independent ability rather than drugs that cause side
effects and often diminish alertness? Not only can technology help now, it will
be even more beneficial for future generations who have technology entrenched
in their long-term memories.

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Early Onset Alzheimer’s

This award-winning blog is a must-read for individuals experiencing early-onset Alzheimer’s. Less common than standard age-related dementias, early onset Alzheimer’s is virtually always a surprise to diagnosed individuals. Linda Fisher, blogger and author, knows the difficulty of this condition firsthand.

In her Early Onset Alzheimer’s blog, she teaches readers not just how to manage such a frightening condition, but also how to live life to the fullest. Her passion for helping others – showing everyone that life with Alzheimer’s is worth living – is a tremendous gift. Thank you, Linda!

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Early Onset Blog has received several blog awards. Due to new Google regulations, the links had to be removed. Past awards have included the #1 Health Blog , Top 10 blog in 2010, Top 25 Blog award in 2010, and a Top 50 award in 2012. We appreciate the recognition, but also understand the need to remove the links.

When Jim returned from Vietnam, he was stationed at Fort Riley, and we spent about a year and a half living in Manhattan, Kansas. With ba...

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Books are a print version of Linda's award-winning Blog. These books are published for the benefit of those without Internet access or who just prefer to curl up with a book rather than browsing online. If you enjoy Linda's blog posts, you might want to purchase the book for a friend or family member.

Fisher began her online journal to share her experiences with families affected by early onset dementia. Her essays provide insight into family life often from a humorous viewpoint. She writes from her experiences as a longtime Alzheimer's Association volunteer and advocate and ten years as a primary caregiver for her husband, Jim.

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I have participated in a link exchange with the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation. They have this blog http://earlyonset.blogspot.com/ listed in their Alzheimer's blogs.

Lindsay Nason wrote about my Early Onset Blog: "I want to thank you for sharing your powerful experience and your creative suggestions with others. . . . Your blog offers a unique and personal insight into this disease, which can be such a comfort to other members of the Alzheimer's community."

Thank you, Lindsay, for your kind words and for including the Early Onset Blog on your website.